An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating, and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves, and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. The threshing rotor is provided with rasp bars that interact with the crop matter in order to further separate the grain from the crop matter, and to provide positive crop movement. Once the grain is threshed, the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system. The cleaning system includes a cleaning fan which blows air through oscillating sieves to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material, such as straw, from the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out the rear of the combine. Clean grain is transported to a grain tank onboard the combine.
A corn header generally includes a conveyor, row units, and accompanying drive architecture to power the header. The conveyor is disposed aft of the row units and it may be in the form of a conveyor belt, an auger with a tubular shaft having left and right flighting, or a combination of both. The row units generally include snouts, gathering chains, and stalk rolls. The snouts are conically shaped to pass in between the rows of corn, defining a designated passageway in between the snouts for the rows of corn to travel therein. Each row unit also includes respective gear boxes to drive the gathering chains and stalk rolls. Generally, the respective gear boxes are all driven by a single rotating cross shaft, which in turn is operably driven by the power take off (PTO) of the agricultural vehicle. As the agricultural vehicle traverses the field, the corn stalks are pulled inwardly by the gathering chains and downwardly by the stalk rolls. This motion causes the ears of corn to contact the base of the header, and thereby the ears snap off their respective stalks. The gathering chains additionally help to move crop material inwardly towards the conveyor, which transports the ears of corn to the center of the header for entry into the feeder house. The stripped corn stalks are further pinched and crushed by the stalk rolls, in order to accelerate the decomposition process of the stalks. The header may also include chopping units that have reciprocating blades located beneath the stalk rolls to chop the stalks, leaves, and other debris (also known as material other than grain “MOG”) to more easily incorporate the remaining residue in subsequent tillage practices.
Some corn headers may further include a down corn attachment located on each snout, e.g. hood, of the header in order to move fallen, downed, and/or lodged crop material from the snouts to the conveyor. A down corn attachment may include a rotating chain or belt located at the center of the snout to pull crop material toward the conveyor. Incorporating a down corn attachment can decrease economic loss, since the bent, fallen, and/or lodged crop material would not otherwise be gathered into the header. Additionally, the down corn attachment will increase efficiency as the operator does not need to stop the harvesting process to clean lodged crop material from the header as often. However, down corn attachments may be complex and cumbersome to maintain. Additionally, some down corn attachments can undesirably increase the overall weight of the header.
What is needed in the art is a cost effective and efficient drive unit for driving a down crop attachment.